Understanding Your Cat's Behaviour

There are some behaviour traits that are found throughout all breeds of cats, and knowing about them will help you to understand yiour cat better and have a more contented life with your pet.

For example, cats tend to jump from one thing to another and land on their feet. For an adult cat this won’t hurt them as it’s just a natural thing for them to do. However for kittens under seven weeks old, the pads on their feet won’t have developed enough to cushion them before landing.

A cat's bone structure is very different from other animals. Their bones are flexible and they don’t have a collar bone so they can easily twist and bend bones. This is another reason why they can jump distances without getting injured.

Cats also have extremely acute hearing and a well-developed sense of smell. They will hear really high-pitched tones like the opening of cans. Due to their strong sense of smell they tend to rub up against furniture and may wee on the floor. Both these traits are about them marking their territory by leaving their smell on things.

Why do these facts help when training your cat?

Knowing the traits above will help when training because you should play on the cat's natural strengths and instincts. You should start training as soon as you get your cat, because the younger they are the easier they will learn.

When training older cats they may become angry, so look out for possible aggressive behaviour. If your cat is older and has come to you from another owner they may be slight depressed. This may make them more prone to suffer from stress or anxiety if you train them quickly after moving. Always seek advice from your vet if you are worried about your cat's behaviour.

You should never hit your cat when training or as a general punishment. Instead if you catch them doing something that they shouldn’t, tell them to stop or say 'No' in a strong and firm voice. You should avoid making them fear you because this will both break your relationship with them and it could lead to them rebelling against you.